At least 5,000 have been killed in Iran during nationwide protests as judiciary hints at executions

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, branded Donald Trump a "criminal" for the casualties he claimed Trump inflicted on Iran by supporting protesters

At least 5,000 people have been killed during recent protests across Iran, an official in the region has claimed, including approximately 500 security personnel. The official, citing verified figures, accused "terrorists and armed rioters" of killing "innocent Iranians", though human rights groups offer significantly different tolls.

The nationwide demonstrations, which erupted on 28 December over economic hardship, quickly escalated into widespread calls for an end to clerical rule. The unrest marks the deadliest period of dissent since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, branded Donald Trump a "criminal" for the casualties he claimed Trump inflicted on Iran by supporting protesters. Khamenei acknowledged "several thousand deaths" but attributed them to "terrorists and rioters" linked to the US and Israel. "We will not drag the country into war, but we will not let domestic or international criminals go unpunished," he stated.

Donald Trump had repeatedly threatened intervention if protesters continued to be killed or executed. In a social media post, he thanked Tehran's leaders, claiming they had called off scheduled executions of 800 people. He later told Politico that "it's time to look for new leadership in Iran".

Meanwhile, Iran's judiciary indicated that executions may still proceed. Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir confirmed that "a series of actions have been identified as Mohareb, which is among the most severe Islamic punishments." Mohareb, an Islamic legal term meaning to wage war against God, carries the death penalty under Iranian law.

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In contrast to official figures, the US-based rights group HRANA reported a death toll of 3,308, with another 4,382 cases under review, and confirmed more than 24,000 arrests. The Iranian official, who declined to be named, maintained the verified death toll was unlikely to "increase sharply", adding that "Israel and armed groups abroad" had supported and equipped those taking to the streets. The clerical establishment frequently blames unrest on foreign adversaries, including the US and Israel.

The violent crackdown appears to have largely quelled the protests, according to residents and state media. One Tehran resident described witnessing riot police directly shooting at a group of mostly young male and female protesters. Videos circulating on social media, some verified by Reuters, have depicted security forces violently suppressing demonstrations across the country.

The Iranian official also noted that some of the heaviest clashes and highest number of deaths occurred in the Iranian Kurdish areas in the country's northwest, where Kurdish separatists have been active. Three sources told Reuters on 14 January that armed Kurdish separatist groups attempted to cross into Iran from Iraq. An Iranian in a northwestern town, speaking anonymously, claimed to have witnessed "armed individuals disguised as protesters shooting at civilians. They were not ordinary protesters, they carried guns and knives." The Norway-based Iranian Kurdish rights group Hengaw corroborated that some of the most intense clashes were in these Kurdish regions.

Information flow from Iran has been severely hampered by internet blackouts, which were briefly lifted before being reimposed. Faizan Ali, a 40-year-old medical doctor from Lahore, recounted cutting short a trip to visit his Iranian wife due to the lack of internet and communication. Upon his return to Lahore, he told Reuters: "I saw a violent mob burning buildings, banks and cars. I also witnessed an individual stab a passer-by."